Thai monks accused of lavish lifestyle

A video clip of three Thai Buddhist monks riding in a private jet has gone viral on the Internet, prompting many people in Thailand to complain about seeing monks living a lavish lifestyle, the Bangkok Post reported on June 16.

The report said that the National Office of Buddhism in Thailand has received a lot of complaints about monks riding in luxurious cars and using brand items, a behaviour that stands in opposite to their religious commitment to live a life of restraint and simplicity and in contrast to the basic anti-materialistic teachings of the religion.

In another case, monks were accused of owning “dozens of sports cars” parking in front of their temples, with the monks saying they were “given to them by their pupils who are famous celebrities”.

The video clip shows three monks with luxury brand earphones and sunglasses as well as a Louis Vuitton bag on board a private aircraft. The Buddhism office said that the monks had been verbally warned and, if found having violated Buddhist teachings, they will be “punished accordingly.”

Buddhism in Thailand is largely of the Theravada school, whose ethics include that monks refrain from personal wealth and luxury items, as well as of any “things that tend to beautify and adorn”, including “decorative accessories”, and instead make a living through donations given to them. The precepts of Buddhism don’t allow them to accept money.

A video clip of three Thai Buddhist monks riding in a private jet has gone viral on the Internet, prompting many people in Thailand to complain about seeing monks living a lavish lifestyle, the Bangkok Post reported on June 16.

The report said that the National Office of Buddhism in Thailand has received a lot of complaints about monks riding in luxurious cars and using brand items, a behaviour that stands in opposite to their religious commitment to live a life of restraint and simplicity and in contrast to the basic anti-materialistic teachings of the religion.

In another case, monks were accused of owning “dozens of sports cars” parking in front of their temples, with the monks saying they were “given to them by their pupils who are famous celebrities”.

The video clip shows three monks with luxury brand earphones and sunglasses as well as a Louis Vuitton bag on board a private aircraft. The Buddhism office said that the monks had been verbally warned and, if found having violated Buddhist teachings, they will be “punished accordingly.”

Buddhism in Thailand is largely of the Theravada school, whose ethics include that monks refrain from personal wealth and luxury items, as well as of any “things that tend to beautify and adorn”, including “decorative accessories”, and instead make a living through donations given to them. The precepts of Buddhism don’t allow them to accept money.

Do you accomodate your Dalai Lama in a Buddhist monastery ? Some people become monks and nuns on a temporary basis and will go back to their everyday lives once they have done what they should do according to their teachings. Some are just seekers. They are still discovering if they could leave this worldly life all together. You cannot expect to be a hermit overnight. You have to get rid of what you are used to all these years before you can be all alone, meditate and be at peace no matter what happens.